


This is Not a Love Triangle

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, awkward crush fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 02:38:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1493581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jasper's junior agent has a crush, not that he noticed. Maria is highly amused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is Not a Love Triangle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_wordbutler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_wordbutler/gifts).



> So, wordbutler wanted "enthusiastic pursuit" by a junior agent, but I don't know how to write aggressive flirting, so I made the executive decision to just have an awkward moment instead.

"Do you want to grab some pizza?" Lila asks as she and Jasper wrap up her first co-lead op. "There’s a place down the street that’s been getting great reviews on Yelp."

Jasper manages not to flinch. He hates Yelp. It’s either people who like places too much or people who want to complain loudly into a void. “Dill’s?” he asks. “Over on 33rd?”

"That’s the one."

Oh thank fuck, Jasper thinks. He and Maria have actually been there. It is as good as the reviews. “Sure,” he agrees. “Least we can do to celebrate your first lead on an op.”

 

Lila grins and straightens her shoulders. “I did all right?”

"Did great. Wouldn’t be allowed in the van if we didn’t think you could," Jasper assures her. She doesn’t actually need assurance; it’s one of the things Jasper noticed first, the natural confidence of a leader. "So, pizza’s on me in about thirty seconds."

Jasper misses the way Lila beams. He’s looking down at his phone and texting Maria. 

_Taking L to Dill’s for celebratory slice. Home in a couple hours._

"All right," Jasper says. "Good to go."

"Great."

They walk to Dill’s in silence, get a booth in a corner, and Jasper orders a cheese pizza—Lila’s a vegetarian—and a pitcher of beer when Lila nods.

"Do you like cheese pizza?" Lila asks. "We could have got halves."

"I tend to get fancier, but cheese pizza is the base of any good pizza place. If you can’t make a good cheese pizza, you can’t be fucking trusted," Jasper says. "And this place does a great cheese pizza. I think they sneak some cheddar in it."

"Is that what it is? I love the cheese here. It just tastes better."

"There’s a smoky undertone on it," Jasper says. "I think that’s the cheddar, but it may be just really good Parmesan."

"You are really into food," Lila says. "I’ve always liked that."

Jasper grins. “Thanks. Just sort of got into it at some point. Don’t quite remember when.”

"And I like that you have a sense of humor."

Jasper feels weird, suddenly. Something’s off, but he can’t figure out quite what. “Thanks,” he says. His phone goes off in his pocket, and he reaches for it. “Excuse me.”

"Sure," Lila says.

It’s a text from Maria:

_Be careful, hot stuff. She’s got a thing for you._

Jasper stares at the message for a second before sending his response:

_Nu-uh._

He’s got his phone halfway to his pocket when it goes off again:

_Oh, honey._

"Everything okay?" Lila asks.

"Yeah," Jasper says. "Maria’s just having some fun at my expense."

_Seriously?_ he sends.

"Is there another situation?" Lila asks. "Do we need to scramble?"

"No, this is personal," Jasper says as he finally pockets his phone. 

"I didn’t realize you were friends," Lila says. "I wasn’t sure—" she cuts off, pressing her hand to her mouth. "Never mind."

"What?" Jasper asks. 

Lila shakes her head. “Nothing. Sorry. I realized it sounded terrible, and that was not my intention, so I stopped.”

Jasper considers what she might have almost said. He has a good idea where she was going. “You’re surprised she has friends?”

Lila winces. “Not in a mean way. She’s just sort of…possessed with that sort of confidence that makes you think she just doesn’t need people, you know? Super independent. Like, she’s the type of person you imagine has a house full of books and cool hobbies and just doesn’t have a group of friends because she doesn’t need them.”

It’s possibly the nicest misunderstanding of a person Jasper’s ever heard. It makes him smile. “She does have a house full of books,” he says. “But it’s only a full house because half of them are mine. Her hobbies are definitely cooler than mine.”

Lila looks shocked, then embarrassed, and then—for just a second—devastated. “I didn’t realize you two were together,” she says, and her voice is almost spot-on for casual, but there’s a thinness at the end of her sentence Jasper catches.

Oh, shit. She’s into him. Awkward.

"Married," Jasper says, and he knows his voice is absolutely steady. He’s had more training. "Three years now. Well, just under."

"Oh," Lila says, and her face smooths out, goes bland. The server comes by to drop off the pitcher of beer and two glasses, and for a second she looks immensely grateful. "That’s great."

"Worked out so far," Jasper says as he pours them each a glass. He slides one over to Lila, and her knuckles go white for a second. "Just like today," he says. "To a job well done."

"Yeah," Lila says, holding up her glass. There’s a blush high on her cheeks, but she’s got an honest smile on her face, clearly proud of her accomplishments. "To my being awesome."

"You did really well," Jasper says as she sips her beer. He wonders if he should keep complimenting her (it would all be true) or if doing so would make her feel more awkward. 

Lila takes the decision away from him. “Can we go over the mission?” she asks. “I know we’ll do a full debrief later, but I like to review stuff when it’s fresh.”

"Sure," Jasper says, and they walk through it bit by bit, Jasper giving advice, Lila asking questions as they go. Halfway through their pizza, Jasper says without thinking, "You know, you really want to learn a few things about working multi-comms, you should talk to Maria. She’s top-notch at that."

"Is it okay to just approach her?" Lila asks.

"Sure," Jasper says. "E-mail her first. She’ll find you."

"I’ll do that," Lila says. She looks relaxed and confident, no trace of being embarrassed. 

When Jasper gets home, Maria’s curled up on a corner of the couch, reading a book and drinking a glass of white wine. Jasper flops on the couch and crawls over until his head is in her lap.

"Well, hi," she says.

"Hey." He smiles when she leans down and kisses him. "So, I think Lila might have had a thing for me."

"No shit," Maria says. "She’s been giving googly eyes since she started."

"Has she?"

Maria laughs. “You are so lucky I’m direct.”

"I’m lucky you like me in general," Jasper says. "Also, Lila’s probably gonna e-mail you about multi-comms. She had some questions."

"I’ll look for it."

"She really had a thing for me?"

"Your powers of observation are amazing," Maria says. "I cannot believe you became a field leader with them."

"Hey, none of that. I managed not to make an ass of myself trying to avoid asking Lila if she found me attractive. I deserve a medal."

Maria laughs again. “You do not. She deserves to never have her crush mentioned again.”

"I didn’t mention it tonight," Jasper says. "I think we’re covered."

"Good," Maria says, and she pecks him on the forehead before going back to her book.


End file.
